Chapter 127: Battle for the Hillside (Part III)

Ding Li’s sudden strike completely disrupted the plans of the dozen or so bandit cavalry who had hoped to take advantage of the momentum to crash through and breach the wagon wall. His swift actions, which resulted in one death and one injury, did more than just inflict immediate damage; they drew the attention of even more bandits, thereby buying precious time for the people behind the wagon wall. Though fleeting, this window was enough to turn the tide.

Three guards seized the opportunity to aim their crossbows at three of the bandits, while four archers quickly drew their short bows. Although they were too rushed to pull the strings to their full length, the arrows they loosed were sufficient to wound the enemy horses outside the wall.

Following this, six Zhang family guards armed with long spears filed out through the gaps between the wagons. Unhindered by the carriages, their ten-foot spears easily reached the cavalrymen or the chests of their mounts.

Suddenly, the bandit cavalry's charge was brought to a dead halt. In the fray, Ding Li’s Tang saber flashed again. A bandit who attempted to intercept Ding Li from the side was skewered by a long spear that appeared suddenly from beside him, sending him tumbling from his mount. The bandit Ding Li was facing was likewise slashed off his horse.

With the counter-attack from the crossbowmen behind the wagon wall, Ding Li and the six Zhang family guards were no longer at a numerical disadvantage. In fact, the bandits, caught off guard by the sudden shift in events, were left bewildered. Aside from three bandits near the edge who saw the turn of events and promptly wheeled their horses around to flee, the rest were either dead or wounded. The two remaining were quickly surrounded by four Zhang family guards; faced with their practiced coordination, it took only an instant for the two bandits to be riddled with spear wounds.

The three cavalrymen who had turned to flee were also cut down without suspense under a follow-up volley of crossbow bolts and arrows from behind the wagon wall. Thus, an attack aimed at breaching the flank of the wagon wall ended with the total annihilation of over twenty men.

On the other side of the wagon wall, because Hei Zi had deployed two more crossbowmen than Ding Li, the overall combat was not nearly as intense. When the group of bandits, who had originally held a numerical advantage, reached a distance of ten paces from the wagon wall, they left behind a dozen corpses and promptly turned their horses to retreat. During their withdrawal, despite the bandits trying their best to crouch low against their saddles, four were still shot down by Hei Zi and his men. Two more had their mounts struck, and after falling, they were trampled to death under the iron hooves of their own companions.

Although the battles on both sides of the convoy were extremely successful and resulted in no casualties, the main battlefield was a different story. The two bandit leaders, Wang Qing and Zhang Wu, were quite capable. Furthermore, in this critical moment, they put aside their previous grievances and joined forces to launch an assault on the people behind the wagon wall. Although many of their men fell to arrows in a short time, their total force remained vastly superior. This multi-fold advantage in numbers weighed heavily on the minds of the guards and the Zhang family retainers behind the wall.

With the odds standing at nearly five to one, the fall of every man behind the wagon wall pulled at everyone’s heartstrings, keeping their nerves stretched to the breaking point. Even those Zhang family guards who had yet to join the fray would inadvertently steal glances at the battle, their hands gripping their spears slick with sweat. No matter how many times they wiped their palms, the moisture would return within a dozen seconds.

The small detachment of archers and crossbowmen that Ding Li and Hei Zi had taken away earlier had significantly weakened the counter-offensive commanded by Li Shan behind the wagon wall. Especially as the bandits outside began to master the rhythm of the exchange of fire, the casualties among the bandits, who were also using shields for cover, began to decrease. Were it not for the deadly effectiveness of the short crossbows equipped by the guards, it might have been difficult to hold off the bandits with short bows alone.

What caused even more panic among Li Shan and his men was the arrival of Zhang Balie from below the hillside, along with the fresh troops led by Qin Mo already gathering on the slope. Of course, what Li Shan and the others did not know was that it was not just them who were wary of Qin Mo’s cavalry; the cunning Zhang Balie himself was deeply cautious of them. This was the reason Zhang Balie had delayed ordering an all-out assault with his full force.

"Brother Qin, it seems Wang Qing’s men aren't up to the task," Zhang Balie, after hesitating for a long time, finally spurred his mount under the protection of his men to Qin Mo’s side. He glanced gravely at the dozen men who had just been forced back by Hei Zi’s resistance, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "Brother Qin, what do you think? Should we go up and lend Brother Wang Qing a hand?"

"That goes without saying. If Brother Zhang has any requirements, just give the order," Qin Mo nodded slightly, then frowned and raised a question: "Brother Zhang, why does this caravan have such powerful armed protection? They even have short crossbows of the type used by the military."

As he spoke, Qin Mo could no longer hide his reservations. He paused for a moment and added with a hesitant expression, "I’ve observed them just now; there are about thirty short crossbows in the caravan. That is a counter-attacking force that cannot be underestimated. Brother Zhang, it is not that I am trying to shirk my duty, but I fear that my brothers alone would not be enough to take a big bite out of them."

Qin Mo’s words were clearly an excuse, but Zhang Balie could not deny the reality of the situation. Qin Mo had nearly half as many men as Wang Qing. Although his forty or fifty men were all cavalry and appeared to be of higher quality than Wang Qing’s, if they were truly to face the thirty short crossbows behind the wagon wall, forcing Qin Mo to charge would be tantamount to forcing him to his death. Zhang Balie did not believe this usually quiet man would submit without resistance.

"Of course, of course, Brother Qin is right. How could I let Brother Qin go up alone? Your men are few; if I just sent you up like that, I would be leading my brothers to their deaths. Such a thing, I, Zhang Balie, would never do." Zhang Balie hurriedly nodded and gave a dry laugh, first exonerating himself, then letting his eyes dart around before staring meaningfully at Qin Mo. He whispered, asking for the other’s opinion: "Brother Qin, you’ve seen it yourself; their counter-attack isn't that strong. Besides, I don't believe they can carry enough bolts to hold us off indefinitely. However, I want to hear your opinion first. After all, this stalemate cannot continue. In your view, shouldn't we change our plan?"

"Hmm, what Brother Zhang said is exactly what I was thinking," Qin Mo tilted his head slightly to glance at Zhang Balie. He knew the man was a complete old fox. If his own forces weren't so few and isolated, Qin Mo would never want to be a subordinate to this man. Therefore, when speaking with Zhang Balie, Qin Mo always stayed alert, fearing that a moment of carelessness would lead him into a trap. Wasn't the hot-tempered Wang Qing just lured into being cannon fodder by the other man's provocation a moment ago?

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Mo looked at Zhang Balie with hesitation, but spoke with extreme caution: "Brother Zhang is right. I also don't believe their supply of bolts is sufficient to withstand us. I think, and this is also what Brother Zhang is considering, that we shouldn't launch a frontal assault on their flanks like before. Instead, we should launch feigned attacks. This will not only distract them but also force them to spread out their crossbowmen. Then, we can concentrate our superior forces to launch a heavy assault on the front."

"Exactly! It seems great minds truly think alike!" A glimmer of cunning flashed in Zhang Balie’s eyes, but he suppressed his triumph by throwing his head back and laughing aloud. When he looked back at Qin Mo, however, he frowned, explaining with a troubled expression: "Brother Qin, look, in the current situation, most of my men are infantry. This task of a feigned attack..."

"Brother Zhang, rest assured. Qin Mo will naturally take charge of this," hearing this, Qin Mo understood Zhang Balie’s meaning immediately. Without hesitation, he nodded heavily to accept the task. But Zhang Balie’s intentions went far beyond this. After Qin Mo’s prompt agreement, Zhang Balie’s expression became even more troubled. He opened his mouth several times, but failed to speak, until even Qin Mo felt awkward watching him. Finally, Qin Mo asked with a puzzled look: "Brother Zhang, is there some other difficulty?"

"Yes, Brother Qin, you truly understand me," Zhang Balie nodded with a pained expression, sweeping his eyes over Qin Mo and the surrounding men before shaking his head and sighing. "Brother Qin, you just said that we should launch feigned attacks on the sides of the convoy while the main attack comes from the front. But you’ve seen the front yourself; there is a wagon wall blocking the way. If we rely solely on infantry, I fear, I fear it will be very difficult to make a breakthrough."

As he spoke, Zhang Balie deliberately turned to look at his own foot soldiers and spread his hands toward Qin Mo with a wry smile: "Brother Qin, you tell me, I can't let them go up and push that wagon wall away with their bare hands, can I?"

At this, Qin Mo finally understood. However, knowing Zhang Balie’s character, he didn't show anything. After all, the man was a typical profiteer who refused to suffer any loss. Thinking about it, it was expected that he wouldn't be satisfied with Qin Mo simply leading men in feigned attacks.

Yet, Qin Mo could not offer any rebuttal at this moment. Within the entire force, while the two Zhang brothers had the most men, less than twenty percent were cavalry. Wang Qing’s force had been seventy or eighty percent cavalry. Though Qin Mo had the fewest men, they were a pure, all-cavalry unit, and all were hardened by battle.

Most importantly, Wang Qing’s cavalry was now scattered and could no longer muster a decent force. Even the thirty cavalrymen Zhang Wu had led out were nowhere to be seen on horseback. While Zhang Balie still had thirty or forty men around him, some were personal guards; the only true cavalry left was the force led by Qin Mo.

Therefore, Zhang Balie’s main intention was to have Qin Mo serve as the primary force in the upcoming main assault.

Seeing that Qin Mo remained silent with his head bowed for a long time, Zhang Balie grew anxious. He deliberately looked toward the front, then feigned urgency to urge Qin Mo: "Brother Qin, we have already lost many brothers. You wouldn't have the heart to just withdraw like this, would you? If we do, how will we face our fallen brothers in the future?"

"No, no, Brother Zhang, you have misunderstood," hearing this, Qin Mo quickly looked up and waved his hands to explain: "That is not what I meant. Of course, we cannot withdraw. What are you saying, Brother Zhang? Is Qin Mo the kind of person who fears death? It is just that my brothers..."

"Understood, understood," before Qin Mo could finish, Zhang Balie cut in with an expression of sudden realization, making the decision with great enthusiasm: "Brother Qin, rest assured. Once we succeed in breaking through this caravan, the primary credit will naturally go to you and your brothers. As for the spoils of war, please rest assured, Brother Qin, we do not divide them by headcount, but by merit and contribution."